Pokemon 2000: The Beast of the Sea
by cobhc94
Summary: Remake. After hearing the legend of Shamouti at a young age, Melody grows up wondering if it will ever mean more than a ceremony. Ten years later, she finds herself entwined with the Chosen One as they battle for the world's very existence.
1. Chapter 1: The Ancient Legend

**Note:**** This story is an alternative version to Pokemon 2000.**

"Grandpaaaaa, do I have to go to bed already?" whined an eight year old girl as her grandpa was tucking her in.

"Yes, Melody it's late and we have a big day tomorrow," the old man replied, kissing her on the forehead.

"Aww… can you at least tell me a story then? Pretty please?"

The old man chuckled. It was already far past her bedtime and the both of them no doubt needed rest for the next day. The Shamouti festival held annually was to be kicked off. But how could he tell her no? _'I guess it's hard not to love your grandchildren,'_ he thought. The old man removed his glasses and took a seat next to the chair by the bedside. The warm summer breeze of Shamouti Island gently blew through the window, kissing his aged face. What he wouldn't give to be young again… "What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"A _true_ story!" Melody squeaked in excitement. "How about the one about the festival every year that Mommy always tells me to ask you about?"

"That's a legendary story, very sacred. My grandpa used to tell me that one when I was a boy but I think that you're still a little young for that one."

"Nooooo… I'm a big girl, I wanna hear it!" Melody prodded on eagerly. "C'mon, every year before the party you say you'll tell me but you never do! Pleeeeeeeeeeease…?"

Her grandpa laughed softly. "Alright then, if that's what you want." He paused as Melody settled herself in bed and stared at him intently.

"A long time ago, a _very _long time ago, long before the days of trainers and Pokeballs, there stood two towers. Two gigantic towers; one in the east and one in the west. Atop each tower lived a gigantic bird Pokemon, and though they were polar opposites, they ruled over the lands in peace. Together, they maintained the balance of nature and Pokemon and human beings coexisted in harmony."

"Ooooo, what were the names of these Pokemon?" Melody piped up.

"The tower in the west was home to the water Pokemon Lugia, guardian of the sea. The tower in the east was the nest of the fire Pokemon Ho-Oh, guardian of the skies. Two magnificent and graceful Pokemon."

"So are they still there?"

"Goodness you're just a question machine," he chuckled. "How can I tell the story if you keep interrupting?"

"Sorry," she said, calming down."

"It's quite alright. As I was saying, the two Pokemon coexisted in harmony for centuries, until about a thousand years ago. In Ho-Oh's tower, the tin tower, there was an ancient treasure known as the Sacred Ash. Supposedly, it had the power to connect with the spirit world, capable of bringing the dead back to life. However, only Ho-Oh was capable of using it."

"One night, it disappeared, stolen by a thief who had no idea that the Ash was in fact useless to him. Ho-Oh was outraged when the Ash was discovered missing and this is when a rift grew between him, and Lugia. Ho-Oh believed that Lugia had become jealous and had had the Sacred Ash stolen. This was of course a lie, but Lugia was very proud and was angered at this accusation. Lugia's view of Ho-Oh changed forever after that and believed him to be a cocky, power-hungry tyrant. Before long, the two were waging war far above the land, often engaged in battle for days at a time."

Melody was silent; her eyes glued wide open, clearly focused on her grandfather's words.

"Eventually, Ho-Oh overpowered Lugia, wounding him badly," her grandpa went on. "Weakened and embarrassed, Lugia fled south, to the Orange Islands, and retreated to the bottom of the sea." He heard Melody gasp in wonder. "His tower was burned down in a fit of rage by Ho-Oh, thus creating the legendary dogs."

"Entei, Raikou, and Suicune!" Melody cheered.

"You like them don't you?"

Melody nodded excitedly. "I like the three birds too! How did they come to be?"

"Well you're in luck because that too is in this very story. Ho-Oh was fascinated by the power of the fire that burned down Lugia's tower. He manipulated the energy and shaped it into a Pokemon… Moltres, whom Ho-Oh proclaimed as his son. Deep beneath the ocean, in the undersea caverns, Lugia discovered solid water… ice. Fascinated by that in the same way Ho-Oh was with the fire, Lugia shaped the ice into a Pokemon… Articuno, the legendary bird of ice. Like Ho-Oh, Lugia thought of Articuno as his offspring, proclaiming her as his daughter."

"And… Zapdos?" Melody asked.

"You'd be surprised of how Zapdos was created," her grandfather said. "All in all… it came from love."

"Aw… that's so sweet!" Melody giggled. "But… how?"

"Moltres and Articuno ran into each other in the sky one day. And the two quickly fell in love. Of course this was forbidden by their parents, as the both of them hated the other. Then, one day, Ho-Oh finally discovered the true cause of the missing Sacred Ash, bringing the man before him and putting him to death. That is when Ho-Oh lost faith in humanity and absorbed the Sacred Ash into his own body, believing that humans could not be trusted with it."

"Shortly after this, Lugia returned to seek vengeance on Ho-Oh. When Lugia returned to Ho-Oh's tower, he found him in an apologetic state, asking for forgiveness. Still outraged by what his former friend had done to him, and his daughter's relationship with his son, Lugia released a power blast from his mouth, demolishing Ho-Oh's sacred tower and returning his foe to a hostile state. Simultaneously, they each released separate blasts of energy that exploded the moment their beams collided. The result of the explosion was Zapdos."

"Betrayed by both humans and Pokemon, Ho-Oh took off into the sky, but not before wiping the minds from both Moltres and Articuno as punishment. Furthermore, he sealed them each to an island, their bonds sealed inside a sacred treasure that they are bound to guard forever. The islands visible from our own island in fact." He pointed out the window to the faint outline of Ice Island.

"Fire Island, Ice Island, and Lightning Island," Melody counted off with her fingers.

"That's right. Ho-Oh still flies through the skies to this day, searching for a trainer pure of heart. This story is the reason why there are Pokemon trainers today; humans have to prove their worth by capturing them. Rumor has it that Ho-Oh reveals himself only to worthy trainers. But there have been no confirmed sightings in decades."

"What happened to Lugia?"

The old man's eyes twinkled. "Lugia returned to the bottom of the Ocean here in these islands, declaring himself protector of the three birds. According to the legend encrypted by the ancient tribes, if they are ever in any danger, Lugia will come to save them."

"I like Lugia," Melody giggled. "Lugia's brave and strong, I hope I get to meet him someday."

"Perhaps someday, if the legend comes to life, you will. Hopefully I'll still be alive to see the day."

"So, what exactly is the legend?" Melody asked confused. "Didn't you just tell me? The whole story about Ho-Oh I mean?"

"I told you the story behind it all, yes, but the actual legend was written by our own people after everything came to be. But perhaps that should wait for another night."

"Wait, don't stop now! What is the Legend?" Melody pleaded. "This is what I've been waiting for! Tell me and I'll go right to bed, I promise!"

"You don't quit do you?" The old man laughed. "Very Well." He paused, and took a deep breath. Melody was up on her knees in anticipation.

"_Disturb not the harmony of Fire, Ice, or Lightning,"_ he recited._  
"Lest these Titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash.  
Though the water's Great Guardian shall arise to quell the fighting,  
Alone its song will fail. Thus the Earth shall turn to ash.  
O, Chosen One, into thine hands bring together all three.  
Their treasures combined, tame the Beast of the Sea.  
From the trio of islands, ancient spheres shall you take,  
For between life and death, all the diff'rence you'll make.  
O, Chosen One, climb to the shrine to right what is wrong,  
And the world will be healed by the Guardian's song."_

Melody stared at her grandfather, awestruck. "Amazing… what does it all mean…?"

"I may be old but I certainly don't know everything," her grandfather chuckled. "It has a very deep meaning to it, but the ceremony we have is basically a celebration of our people. And this legend happens to be the core of it all. Every year someone is chosen to go to each island and retrieve the treasures of fire, ice, and lightning. This person is the said "Chosen One." When they bring it back to the shrine on Shamouti, there is a massive celebration, the ancient tribal song is played, and the treasures just… magically disappear. The festival is tomorrow you'll learn more soon enough."

"No, tell me more, MORE!" Melody cried. Her Grandfather had already gotten up and was standing at her bedroom door.

"Grandpa… is this legend… _real_?"

Her grandpa was smiling from ear to ear now, a curious look in his eyes. "Goodnight Melody," he said, turning her lights off.

**This is my first Pokemon fic, let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2: Goremageddon

**Note: This is NOT an exact retelling of Pokemon 2000 the events will be drastically altered, otherwise, there'd be no point in reading it, right? And Brock will be featured in this, not Tracy, as I personally can't stand Tracy.**

"Now approaching Shamouti Island," came a computerized voice from the monitors aboard a large aircraft slowly propelling itself through the clouds.

The man at the controls chuckled. "It won't be long now."

The vehicle itself was a colossal circular craft, built of high grade steel and large enough to stretch across a small city. Its sheer size and perfection was so magnificent that modern architects would marvel over the very realization of its existence. Thus, it usually remained elevated at great heights, to remain out of eyesight of suspecting civilians. But not today, as the devious Pokemon hunter Lawrence III was preparing to carry out the initial phase of his sinister grand scheme. A tall, curly haired blond man with handsome features, Lawrence III came off as a most charming man to the eye, veiling his blackened heart of greed and sadism that tainted his bloodstream, leaving him devoid of any form of decency. As pilot of the ship, he sat at the control booth, watching the ship's steady descent on the gigantic island far below.

"We will be upon Shamouti Island in five minutes," came the computerized voice a second time. "Preparing to attack."

Lawrence III smiled. "Good," he muttered to himself, feasting his eyes upon the centerpiece of the Orange Islands. Its center was largely made up of a gigantic volcano, with jungles surrounding the perimeter. On the brink of the southern part of the island however, was the only established civilization on the island: Shamouti City, a large town that served as home to several thousand people and also as a top tourist attraction within the islands. Some came for the lush rainforests, others for the tropical weather, and the additional bountiful attractions that were such a point of interest to the rest of the world. But the key point of Shamouti, the cream de la crème, was the ancient legend that shrouded the area in mystery and drew thousands of visitors flocking to the annual festival, eagerly attempting to test themselves as the "Chosen One" that the legend foretold would tame the beast of the sea. Lawrence III was only too familiar with the legendary tale, having grown up as child on the island.

Off to the south of Shamouti, perched three significantly smaller islands, each said to be home to one of the three legendary bird Pokemon: Moltres the bird of fire, Zapdos the bird of lightning, and Articuno the bird of ice. According to legend, they had been slumbering deep within the islands ever since Ho-Oh banished them there. Though they were each priceless Pokemon in the eyes of any other man, they were mere trifles to Lawrence III. They were not what he was truly after.

The ship was now hovering just a few thousand feet above Shamouti city, positioning itself to block out the sun from the view of the unsuspecting victims. Its foreboding shadow cast down upon the civilians in the streets, who had by now noticed the enormous aircraft and were now looking to the sky in terror as if hell itself were bearing down on them.

"Perfect position to take my shot," Lawrence chuckled. "It's almost too easy." And he directed his missiles at the city, releasing a tirade of destruction from the mouths of his weapons.

The missiles crashed into the streets, demolishing cars and obliterating houses. People ran across the streets screaming in sheer terror as bodies exploded around them, warm blood splattering their timid skin and staining their clothes. Dead, mangled corpses flew through the smoke contaminated air and flocks of Pidgey and Spearow took flight, making frantic attempts to scurry to safety. Lawrence III laughed in delight as he watched the gory onslaught and crumbling buildings, the city's brutal demise feeding his soul with sick pleasure.

"Ok, enough of this," he chuckled. "I've had my fun." And he altered his cannons to his true target, the very reason he had ventured to his old homeland: the Guardian's Shrine, located at the tip of the cliff pointing outwards from the mountain, towards the sea. It was this shrine where the three treasures were placed, as they supposedly harnessed the balance of nature. A gleam of lust shot through Lawrence III's eyes and he fixed his gaze on the shrine, only hoping that its destruction would indeed lead to the unfolding of the legend and thus, his true target: Lugia, the Beast of the Sea.

Lawrence III gazed intently upon the shrine for another few seconds. Then, "Fire!"

**Sorry for the recent lack of updates, I've just been really busy and it's been hard finding time to get writing done, as I'm usually really tired and only want to relax. I have become a lazy fuckup hahaha. Anyways, I thank everyone for continuing to read and hope you will keep on doing so. Hope you enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3: Homecoming

**Ages of the Characters (I aged them up a bit. Cry foul all you want, but I have a hard time writing more mature content with Ash being only 10.): **

**Ash – 15**

**Misty – 15**

**Brock – 17**

**Melody – 16**

**Luna (OC) – 14**

**Melody's Grandfather (Chief) (OC) – 90**

**Carol - 25**

**Maren – 27**

**Sorry for my hiatus by the way, I just went through a huge writer's block and lost my motivation to write. But it's come back hard, so please keep reading ahah.**

Ash stood at the stern of Maren's small boat, peering at the horizon over the vast ocean of the Orange Islands. What should have been a beautiful sunset was veiled by dark storm clouds and the fog of rain showers miles away. The weather had not been looking good all day. And it couldn't have coincided at a more inconvenient time. For weeks now, Ash and his companions Brock and Misty had been highly looking forward to the annual Shamouti festival, as it was the most popular tourist attraction in the islands, with thousands of visitors flocking from around the world every year to witness the sacred tradition.

"Looks like a storm's coming Pikachu," Ash muttered to the yellow electric mouse Pokemon resting on his head who merely nodded his head in agreement. The little Pokemon had been awfully quiet throughout the day. "I guess we should down with the others."

Leaving his resting post, Ash headed inside the boat's housing, where Brock sat in a comfortable chair by a coffee table, while Misty was resting on Maren's bed, Togepi in her arms. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's hat to join his Pokemon compadre as Ash took a seat in the chair opposite Brock's side of the table.

"The sea's getting rough," Ash said, picking a couple grapes out of Maren's fruit bowl. "It looks like the weather's gonna be miserable for the festival."

"Kind of a bummer," Brock agreed. "Good thing we bought ponchos at the last island; looks like we're going to be doing a lot of standing in the rain."

"I know!" Misty pouted in disdain. "I might just end up spending the entire time in the hotel room, I don't wanna be soaking wet in the rain all day…"

"Misty shut up, you love water," Ash retorted.

"Not when it's pouring from the sky when I'm trying to enjoy a vacation!"

"Fair enough point," Brock said with a laugh. "We'd better get ready to hit shore though. Maren was down here a little awhile ago and said we would be there shortly."

"All right!" Ash replied with an enthusiastic grin stretched across his face. He truly was excited to see the great Shamouti Island, even if lousy weather was to meet them. After all, he had traveled through much worse and a little rain wasn't about to dampen his spirits.

"Guys?" Maren called from the deck. "You'd better come look at this!" There was an undeniable shock in her voice and the three of them could tell right away that something was wrong. They made no hesitation to comply, quickly heading up to join her at the steering wheel. It took only a moment for them to understand.

"My god!" said Brock, staring at the wrecked town of Shamouti, which was drawing nearer and nearer. Though they were still about a mile from the shore, they could clearly make out the images of demolished buildings and fallen trees. And it was sure to look worse when they arrived. Ash stood speechless, unsure of what to think of the combination of the damaged village, and the shocked expression of Maren's face.

"I don't… I don't understand!" she gasped. "How…? How did this happen?"

"Uh… Maren?" Misty asked apprehensively. "There are no ferries in the harbor. I don't think tourists are coming in."

"You're right, I only see boats of the locals," Maren answered gravely. "There must be something seriously wrong if tourism has been shut down."

"What do you think could have happened?" Ash asked, stunned by his unexpected first impression of Shamouti.

"I'm just as confused as you," she responded. "I haven't had any contact from my friends who live here, and by the look of things that's not very comforting." Her face was growing pale and her body started to tremble mildly. She was clearly extremely worried. "But I guess we're about to find out."

They pulled into the harbor about half an hour later, to see a deserted dock with just a few people standing over at the beach, eyeing them very cautiously.

"Guys, have your Pokemon ready to battle at any moment," Maren warned. "We could find ourselves in danger in a flash."

"I don't like this," Brock noted. "This doesn't look good."

"No shit…" Ash muttered. At his feet, Pikachu was all tensed up, sparks flying from his cheeks as he prepared for potential battle.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" one of the islanders asked viciously as they approached.

"They're friends of mine," Maren answered promptly. "This island is my hometown and I was bringing them along to see the festival. But this wasn't the welcome I was expecting..."

"Can it!" the stranger spat. "Nobody has come in since this town was attacked this morning. No tourists, no authorities, no nothing! And now I'm supposed to believe that you're just a little girl coming home to see the festival? You're probably working with whoever caused this mess!" He walked up in front of her and spat in her face, to which Pikachu reacted instantly, performing a quick attack on the man's chest, knocking him to the ground.

"You little…" His friends spat as they angrily rushed to his side.

"Pika-chu!" Pikachu snarled as more sparks flew from his cheeks.

"That's _enough_!" came an elderly voice from the stone ledge above. Atop the stone staircase leading from the beach to the town stood an old man in tribal clothing, holding a walking shaft in his right hand. Next to him stood a young teenage girl in a white dress, staring down with a somber expression across her face. She wore a delicately crafted hat matching the color of her dress, and she was very pretty, with refined facial features and thick brown hair down to her lower back, blowing in the wind behind her.

"Maren?" the girl asked. A heartfelt smile spread across her face as she ran down the stone steps.

"Melody!" Maren exclaimed in turn, running up the stairs in turn, hugging her friend as they collided. "I was worried sick about you guys when I saw the town from a distance! I'm so glad you're ok!"

"I'm a big girl now Maren," Melody answered laughing. "I can take look after my grandpa and me."

"I know, it's just a normal reaction for me to freak out," Maren laughed. "But what happened here?"

"Your questions will be answered in due time Maren," the old man answered, before Melody could respond. He turned to the strangers still standing across from Ash and his friends. "Pay no mind my children. I will tend to our friends."

"Sorry chief," the man on the ground answered, picking himself to his feet and leading his friends off, but not before shooting Pikachu a dirty glance. Ash, Misty, and Brock climbed the steps, following Melody and Maren to the top of the ledge where the old man stood.

"Thanks for getting us out of that," Ash chuckled. "It looked like things were going to get out of hand real quick…"

"Please forgive us," the man answered humbly. "The people have been in panic ever since… this morning. And I don't blame them. It was truly terrible to behold. However, I hope you accept our hospitality nevertheless. I am chief of the people of Shamouti, and will see to your well being for the duration of your time here."

"We graciously accept, thank you," Brock responded. "But do you mind us asking, what exactly happened?"

"I'll explain back at the pre-festival gathering tonight," the chief answered, a dark look across his face. "On the streets is not the appropriate place."

"You're still having the festival activities?" Misty asked in disbelief.

The old man managed a weak smile. "Oh yes," he replied. "Whatever son-of-a-bitch did this will have to try a lot harder to break our tradition."

**A little while later**

The word "house" had been a vast understatement to describe the conditions the chief lived in; it was a magnificent mansion, located on a suburbanized hill just a couple miles north of the center of town. The storm was now in action, and the group had settled in now huddled in the living room, a tray of tea on the table in front of them. People were scattered throughout the house aplenty, no doubt due to the loss of their homes in the city. Amid the chattering of the chief's guests, Ash sat silently, reflecting upon the state of the legendary island. What they had just witnessed on the streets had horrified him. From the view of the boat, they had only seen a fraction of the damage. On the streets in the city, cars were demolished, tall buildings and trees had collapsed, and dead bodies were being dragged to freshly dug pits in order to clean the streets. Loved ones mourned, tears flowing from eyes like the pouring rain.

Across the room from him, Maren's face was cupped in her hands, as she was obviously devastated at the graphic sight of her hometown's destruction. Melody was attempting to comfort her, pulling her friend into a hug. Her gaze kept wavering to meet Ash's however, and she was eyeing the Pokemon trainer with keen interest. When her eyes met his, he blushed, and tried to avert his gaze without being awkward. He was not the only one to notice this however; Misty was watching every move and with a look of anger upon her face.

'_Ash.'_ Someone said his name.

"Yeah Misty?" he asked, turning to her.

"What?" She spat. It was obvious she was in a sour mood.

'_I wonder what's up her ass,'_ he thought. "You just said my name."

"I did not!"

'_Hee hee hee… you're funny,' _came the voice again, in a girlish laugh. And it surely wasn't coming from Misty. Her mouth was closed and she had a sharp frown across her face. Then he realized, _'The voice is in my head! But what is it exactly… am I crazy or something…'_

'_No, you're not crazy,'_ the voice came again. _'It's just me talking to you. I'm in your head.' _Sure enough, Ash could definitely feel another presence inside his head, connected with his inner self. What it was however, was another question entirely.

'_Why did you laugh at me?'_ Ash asked. The voice giggled again.

'_I just think it's funny how she's mad at you,'_ came an answer. _'I don't think she likes that girl across the room looking at you. Girls can be possessive creatures.'_

Ash was taken aback by this statement; between both the realizations of the voice knowing why Misty was angry, and the fact itself that Melody was eyeing him. But even more, he felt rather uneasy that another presence was inside his mind. He understood instantly that it was a girl speaking however, and couldn't help but notice how gentle and beautiful it was. There was such a soothing tone to it that just relaxed his body and mind, as if he could sink into a waterbed. _'Who are you?'_

'_Awwwww… you really think my voice is pretty?'_ she sounded genuinely touched.

'_Hey, no fair I asked a question first!'_ He felt his cheeks turn red nevertheless.

'_Hee hee hee,'_ the voice giggled again. _'Now she's pissed because she thinks you're blushing at that other girl looking at you.'_

'_I'm blushing because you're making me!'_

'_I can't help that you think my voice is pretty…'_

'_I can't help that you're reading my mind!'_

She laughed. _'Oh Ash… you're cute.'_

Now he was starting to get annoyed. _'Would you please just tell me who you are? And how do you know my name?'_

'_It only makes sense that I should know the name of my Savior.'_

'_Your… savior?' _ That was the last thing he would have expected to hear. And it wasn't helpful. It just utterly confused him.

'_You'll understand in due time Ash Ketchum, sooner than you can imagine… your destiny is about to unfold. I'll be seeing you soon, my hero.'_

'_Wait, you still haven't told me who you are!'_ No response. The voice had vanished as quickly as it had come.

**Next chapter coming soon, along with Red Eyes in the Shadows!**


End file.
